help! treatment questions!

I did OP treatment for awhile and then I thought i recovered. Now I think I am relapsing, would IP be better for me? If so, how long does a person have to stay there? What if I don't like it? Are there certain qualifications for being an IP(like only hospitalized patients, or can people whose ED was caught early go?) Would I have to get a referral from my doctor?

I'll try to answer your questions. First it is not unusual to relapse with an eating disorder, it can be years or months. I was IP about four months ago and I followed the program, going to all the group sessions, eating all my meals but I still have thoughts and fears of food. I have been IP several times and I still find it hard to recover from. If you think you are relapsing then you should go to your doctor first, he/she can refer you to a doctor (I see a psychiatrist) who specializes in eating disorders. He will evaluate you and decide what level of care you should be in. There are several levels. One is as an outpatient (which I am now), usually you see the doctor once a month. Then there is PHP ( partial hospitaliztion program). In that you have to spend all day in the hospital but you get to go home in the evening. Then there is IP. When you see the doctor you have to be really honest with him so he can take a true history of where you are with your ED. I hope I have answered some of your questions. You might want to google for eating disorders and read up on the subject.